Black Venus Rice is a medium-grain rice with a dark purple colour and a mild, nutty taste that requires slightly longer cooking time than traditional white rice. This black rice, with Chinese roots and modern Italian applications, is also know as "forbidden rice" or "emperor’s rice".
With a mix of luscious textures, rich flavours and bright colours, this salad makes for a delicious and nutritious lunch.

300 g Sweet potato, peeled and diced 1 tbsp Olive oil Salt and pepper to taste 200 g Black Venus rice 350 ml Water 2 Scallions, chopped (or parsley) 1 handful Pistachios 3 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp Orange juice 2 tbsp Argan oil Diced mango, optional

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F. Toss the diced sweet potatoes, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper in a bowl. Toss well and place them in a single layer on a baking tray. Roast for 20 minutes until they are fork tender.
2. Bring black rice and water to a boil in a sauce pot on high heat. Season lightly with salt. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
3. Add white balsamic, argan oil, and orange juice in a bowl. Whisk to blend. Mix the rice, roasted sweet potatoes, chopped scallions, pistachios, diced mango if using and dressing. Toss gently to combine. Taste to season.

A healthy and satisfying Mediterranean wholegrain spelt pasta with brine-cured green olives, tangy capers, pine nuts, and a hint of heat from pepper flakes.
The olive herb has an amazing pickled olive flavour. It’s wonderful used in pastas and pesto. It pairs well with lettuce for salads, sauces, cheeses, and marinades.

200 g Wholegrain spelt farfalle 1/2 cup Green olives, pitted 1 tbsp Capers, drained 2 tbsp Pine nuts 90 ml Olive oil 1 tsp Hot pepper flakes Olive herb for garnish Salad leaves

1. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. When water comes to a boil, add pasta, stirring constantly for the first minute to help prevent pasta from sticking together. Cook until al dente, about 8 minutes.
2. Finely chop pitted olive, capers and pine nuts. Toss with olive oil and pepper flakes. In a large saute pan, saute for 3 minutes over medium high heat.
3. Drain pasta in a colander, reserving 1/4 cup pasta water. Add pasta to the sauce and toss to coat completely. Add pasta water if you need to thin out the sauce a bit. Serve, garnished with olive herb leaves. on a bed of salad.

A quick, tasty everyday pasta made with green asparagus, tomatoes, and olives for a stress-free supper.

120 g Pasta 300 g Green asparagus, trimmed and cut into chunks 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 Large clove of garlic, crushed Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 200 g Chopped can tomatoes 2 tbsp Black olives, pitted Parmesan for dusting Cilantro leaves for garnishing

1. Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water for about 8 minutes or according to package instructions until al dente.
2. Trim, rinse and cut the green asparagus into 2-inch chunks. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in green asparagus chunks and crushed garlic, stirring occasionally, cook for 2-3 minutes.
3. Pour in chopped can tomatoes and pitted black olives. Stir to combine all the ingredients until incorporated and asparagus chunks are tender.
4. Drain the pasta and mix with sauce. Serve with chopped coriander leaves and grated Parmesan.

This is an comforting and delicious homemade pasta with browned ground beef filling. It's simply sauced with a roasted tomato sauce. If you're a fan of homemade pasta, take some time and make your dinner special.

Homemade Beef Ravioli with Roasted Tomato Sauce

adapted from Klassische italienische Küche von Julia della Croce

Roasted Tomato Sauce	Beef Ravioli
500 g Roma tomatoes 1 Yellow onion, chopped 6 Garlic cloves, peeled 2 tbsp Olive oil 1 tbsp Sugar Salt and pepper 1 tbsp Fresh thyme 200 ml White wine 2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar	300 g Pasta flour (or bread flour) 1/8 tsp Salt 4 Large eggs 1 tbsp Olive oil 200 g Ground beef 1 Shallot, minced 1 clove Garlic, minced 2 tbsp Parsley, chopped 1/4 tsp Salt 1 Egg white, beaten Parmesan, grated (optional) Chives, chopped (optional)

1. Preheat an oven to 200C/400F. Slice each tomato in half lengthwise and place on a sheet pan, cut side up. Roughly chop the onion and scatter the pieces around the tomatoes. Scatter the garlic cloves on top of the onion. Drizzle with olive oil, then season with the sugar, salt, pepper, and thyme.
2. Roast the vegetables for 30 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft. Remove from the oven and transfer the roasted tomatoes into a large saucepan. With an immersion blender process the tomatoes to the desired consistency. Bring the tomato sauce to a simmer. Add in white wine and balsamic vinegar. Simmer for a further 20 minutes.
3. Combine pasta flour and salt on a clean work surface and make a well in the center. Place 3 eggs and olive oil in the well, and incorporate the flour into the liquid ingredients until combined. Knead the dough vigorously until it becomes smooth and elastic.
4. Allow the dough to rest, covered with plastic wrap, for at least 1 hour before rolling it out. Flatten a manageable amount of dough (about the size of an orange) on a clean work surface dusted with flour. Cover the rest of the dough. Using a rolling pin, work from the center of the dough to the edges with a back-and-forth motion, rolling and stretching the dough. Continue rolling, turning the dough occasionally and dusting it with flour to prevent sticking and tearing, until the sheet is the desired thickness. Leave the dough sheets to dry for 10-15 minutes before cutting.
5. Cook ground meat, minced shallot and garlic in a skillet until meat is browned. Remove and strain off the fat. Stir in one egg, parsley and salt.
6. Cut the dough sheet into 8-cm wide strips and place spoonfuls of filling about 4cm apart on one strip. Brush the area between fillings with egg white and top with a second strip of dough. Form ravioli by pressing around each filling to form a seal. Dust with flour and cut into squares with a pastry wheel. Crimp the edges of the ravioli with a fork to ensure that they are sealed properly. Alternatively you can cut out the wraps using a 2-inch cookie cutter.
7. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the ravioli for 5 minutes in a rapidly boiling salted water. Drain and gently toss with the sauce. Sprinkle some grated Parmesan and chopped chives on top if desired. Serve immediately.

A really simple pasta dish with crunchy bitter radicchio, that’s balanced by the rich, earthy taste of roasted hazelnuts and luscious, fresh cream. Some chopped roasted nuts would be a nice addition sprinkled on top. Serve with some garlic bread for a complete meal.

Reginette with Radicchio and Hazelnut Cream Sauce

Inspire by Robyn Cooks and All Recipes

• 100 g Reginette
• 1 Radicchio, rinsed and sliced
• 40 g Ground hazelnuts, toasted
• 30 g Butter
• 120 ml Low-fat cream
• 1 tsp Brandy
• Salt and freshly mulled black pepper

1. Cook the reginette in in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente, about 9 minutes.
2. In the meantime, toast the ground hazelnut in a small skillet over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly. Lower heat, then add the butter, stir until melted, then add the cream and brandy. Stir to combine, and cook until thickened, 5 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. To serve, pile some radicchio into the bottom of a rimmed soup bowl, then top with reginette. Spoon the sauce over the top. Serve immediately.

Couscous, if not prepared properly, could taste really bland and boring. This Italian inspired fried couscous was a really pleasant surprise. The crunchiness of the toasted couscous, and rich, sharp flavour of Gorgonzola with tangy vinaigrette dressing are simply a perfect blend.

Stir-fried Couscous Salad with Gorgonzola

Inspired by Giada De Laurentiis

Couscous	Dressing
500 ml Hot vegetable broth 1/3 tsp Salt 280 g Couscous 60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and crushed 80 g Gorgonzola, cut into 1/2-inch pieces 1/2 Large cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces 4-5 Sun-dried tomatoes, chopped 2 tbsp Chopped red basil leaves	60 ml Extra-virgin olive oil Zest and juice from 1/2 large lemon 1/2 tsp Salt 1/4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, bring the vegetable broth and 1/3 teaspoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the couscous. Cover until the liquid had been absorbed and the couscous is tender, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a fork, fluff the couscous and break up any lumps.
2. In a large, nonstick skillet heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the garlic and discard. Increase the heat to high and add the couscous. Cook, stirring constantly, for 6 minutes. Continue to cook the couscous, stirring every 5 minutes, until toasted, about 25 minutes.
3. Transfer the couscous to a large serving bowl and cool for 5 minutes. Add the Gorgonzola, cucumber, sun-dried tomatoes, and red basil. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, salt, and pepper until smooth. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss until the couscous is coated.

Couscous is a staple food throughout North African countries and a dish enjoyed worldwide. It's a Berber dish that costs little and nourishes a lot. The one we usually find in the grocery stores is the tiny grained Moroccan couscous that has been pre-steamed. All you need to do is to mix them with boiling stock or water, and let stand for a few minutes, fluff the grains with a fork--incredibly easy to prepare. However, couscous is fairly flavorless on its own and tends to take on the flavour of other ingredients or sauces that it’s prepared with. This simple salad, inspired by one of my favourite recipe websites Essen und Trinken, is prepared with fluffy couscous, freshly diced tomatoes, pickled gherkins, and spring onions tossed with a fresh herb vinaigrette.

	Dressing
50 g Couscous 100 ml Vegetable stock 100 g Pickled gherkin, diced 100 g Tomato, diced 2 Spring onions, cut into rings Salt	2 tbsp Mint leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp Parsley leaves, finely chopped 2 tbsp Olive oil 1-2 tbsp Lemon juice Pinch of sugar Salt and black pepper

1. In a saucepan, bring vegetable broth to a boil. Stir in couscous. Remove from heat. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.
2. Dice the pickled gherkin and tomatoes. Place them in a bowl. Cut the spring onions into thin rings and add into the bowl.
3. Finely chop the mint and parsley leaves. Whisk together with the remaining dressing ingredients. Toss together the couscous, diced vegetables and the dressing. Taste, and adjust the seasoning. Cover and refrigerate, allowing the flavours to mingle, for 30 minutes.

It’s a shame that many people (my husband included) are averse to this appealingly rich purple bulb, that has been considered beneficial to the digestive system, as a cancer preventative, and a tonic of blood. It is a nutritious vegetable with many health-giving and healing properties. Aside from bringing immeasurable good to human health, the sweet, earthy and velvety beet makes attractive, colourful and delicious dishes.

Sweet, spicy and satisfyingly crunchy...could those chips convince your husband to eat beets who passionately dislikes them?

Brown Rice Salad with Beetroot and Herbs

Salad	Dressing
250 g Brown rice 350 g Roasted beetroot, chopped into chunks 2 tbsp Spring onions, finely sliced 1 tbsp Fresh tarragon, finely chopped 2-3 tbsp Fresh dill, roughly chopped	3 tbsp Freshly squeezed orange juice 1-2 tbsp White balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cook the brown rice according to the packet instructions. It takes about minutes. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain really well and tip into a large bowl.
2. Stir the spring onions, chopped tarragon, dill and beetroot though the rice. Mix together the dressing ingredients and taste to check the seasoning. Stir the dressing through the salad. Pile the rice salad on a large serving dish and garnish with some roughly chopped dill. Serve immediately.

Oven Roasted Beetroot Chips

• 3 Medium beetroots, peeled and thinly sliced
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• Pinch of chilli powder
• Sea salt to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/340F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Clean, dry and peel the beetroots. Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, slice them into wafer-thin crisps.
2. Toss in a bowl with olive oil, chilli powder and salt. Arrange on the baking sheet in a single layer. Roast 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning halfway through, until crisp. Check often to make sure they don't burn. Spread out on paper towel until cool and crisp. Sprinkle with additional chilli powder and salt if necessary.

This pasta is REALLY simple, fast, and delicious, too, just like most of Italian recipes. It perfectly combines the delicious flavours with balanced nutrition and since the sauce can be prepared ahead of time, this is ideal for those who haven't much time to cook, but are unwilling to compromise on a bottled sauce.
Adapted from Taste

• 120 g Pitted green olives
• 2 Garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1/2 bunch Mint, leaves picked
• 1/2 bunch Flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
• 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan, plus extra shavings to serve
• 100 ml Olive oil
• Freshly mulled black pepper
• 400 g Spaghetti
• Some radicchio, shredded

1. Rinse and drain olives, then pulse in a food processor with garlic, herbs, cheese and oil until roughly chopped, not smooth. Season with pepper.
2. Cook pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain, then return pasta to pan.
3. Add the pesto and shredded radicchio. Toss gently to combine. Serve with extra cheese shavings.

This is easy to fix and soooooooooo tasty! Linguine can be used in place of spaghetti and the vegetables, like carrots, and peas can be incorporated into the filling. Now open a bottle of Valpolicella Classico and enjoy your pasta!
Recipe adapted from Essen und Trinken

• 200 g Spaghetti
• 3 tbsp Parmesan, grated
• 2 tbsp Breadcrumbs
• 2 Large eggs
• 3 tbsp Whipping cream
• 1 Tomato, diced
• 50 g Prosciutto, diced
• 125 g Fresh Mozzarella cheese, diced
• 3 tbsp Chives, chopped
• Salt and pepper
• Tomato sauce to serve

1. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta. Return to same pot and toss with grated Parmesan and breadcrumbs.
2. Use a fork to stick into the spaghetti and bring up a heaping forkful. Turn and twist the pasta to form a nest. Repeat until you have 8 nests. Place them on a baking tray lined with paper. At the same time, preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
3. Stir together the eggs and cream until just blended. Season to taste. Add in diced tomatoes, Prosciutto, Mozzarella, and chopped chives. Divide the mixture and spoon them in the center of each nest. Bake the spaghetti nests on second rack from the bottom of the oven for 15-18 minutes.

A delightful combination of eggplants, canned tomatoes and spinach taglierini make this pasta dish a delicious and satisfying main course meal, and you won't even miss the meat.

• 250 g Spinach taglierini or linguini
• 2 Large aubergine
• 8 tbsp Olive oil
• 2 clove Garlic, crushed
• 2/3 can Crushed canned tomatoes
• 1/4 tsp Crushed dried chillies
• 1/4 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 handful Chopped spring onions (or basil leaves)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Cut off the tops and bases of each eggplant and cut across into two. Cut each piece lengthways into thick sticks. Place into a colander and sprinkle them with one teaspoon of salt. Place the colander over a bowl and leave the eggplants for 40 minutes to disgorge some of their juices. Pat the eggplants dry with kitchen paper to remove the salt and excess juices.
2. Heat 6 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan. Add in the aubergine pieces and fry, turning occasionally, until golden-brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and place onto a plate lined with kitchen paper to drain.
3. Fill a large pot with enough water and bring to the boil. Add the salt, then the spinach taglierini and cook according to packet instructions, or until al dente. Shortly before the pasta is ready, add the remaining olive oil and the garlic to the frying pan and return it to the heat.
4. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the crushed chillies, dried oregano and the tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the eggplants and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add in chopped spring onions or basil leaves and mix well.
5. Drain the cooked spinach taglierini and divide into 2-3 bowls. Spoon the eggplant mixture over. Serve right away with some shaved Parmesan cheese if desired.

Ramsons is also known as "wild garlic" due to its pungent garlic odour, or "bear's garlic" as the brown bears after hibernation, seek it out to cleanse their system. Ramsons has similar medicinal properties to those of the garlic. It is therefore especially valuable for a spring cleaning and waste removal course of treatment. They can be used as salad, as a vegetable, in soup, or as an ingredient for pesto in lieu of basil.

	Ramsons Pesto
250 g Wholewheat spaghetti 10 Cherry tomatoes, halved 10 Bocconcini, optional A handful of baby greens Freshly ground black pepper	80 g Ramsons leaves, chopped 60 g Almond, chopped 80 g Parmesan-Reggiano, grated 130 ml Olive oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Add only enough chopped almonds to the skillet so they lie in a single layer. Turn heat on to medium and toast, stirring occasionally until the nuts are fragrant. Remove from heat and cool.
2. Rinse, dry and chop the ramsons. In a food processor, pulse toasted almonds and ramsons a few times. Slowly add the olive oil in a constant stream while the food processor is on, stopping to scrape down sides of container. Add the grated cheese and pulse again until blended. Add a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. If you have a mortar and pestle, do use them to pound the ingredients.
3. To store the pesto, simply place them in a jar and allow the oil to rise to the top. If it doesn't add a little oil to seal the top. It will keep fresh in the refrigerator for about a week.
4. Cook pasta to al dente according to package directions. Drain in colander and transfer to a mixing bowl. Add in pesto (about 1/2 cup) and gently toss to coat thoroughly. If pesto is too thick, you can add a tablespoon of the pasta water to thin it a little.
5. When pesto is mixed in, add cherry tomatoes, bocconcini if used, baby greens and season with freshly ground black pepper to taste.